We're All Stories In The End
by Being A Wallflower
Summary: "Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know. It was the best." - 18 stories for Liza's 18th Birthday, from a variety of fandoms: HP, DW, Sherlock, PJO, Merlin, and Supernatural. Not actually a crossover. Happy Birthday my darling and enjoy! Warning: includes language, sex references, self-harm and suicide.
1. To Plan Ahead (JamesLily)

_**AN**: Well, Liza. Happy Birthday! I hope you have an amazing day. This - every single chapter - is for you. 18 of your favourite pairings. Also for GGE, so I've used various prompts but can't be bothered to list them for each chapter. You better enjoy it. ;)_

_I would like to give huge thank-yous to both Sam - MissingMommy - for betaing most of the following chapters; and Paula - Exceeds Samspectations - for betaing a couple of the other chapters, and for publishing the first couple of chapters. I LOVE YOU GUYS!_

_To other people - a mixture of fandoms, as I said before, not a crossover, pulled from everywhere, skip chapters if you're not interested in them. Warnings for each chapter given at the beginning. Thank you!_

* * *

**To Plan Ahead**

Outside it is dark and quiet, apart from the sounds of a few small children running around, asking for sweets on the doorsteps; trees rustling slightly in the wind, and houses sighing and creaking in their old age. The village is peaceful.

We sit next to each other on the settee, relaxed. Harry is in bed asleep – at last – and now there is a bit of time for just you and me.

I move closer to you and bury my head into your jumper. You smell the same as you always do – of musk and soap and just slightly of lemon. I smile, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.

You look outside. "In a few years, we'll be able to take Harry out to go around the houses trick-or-treating. I'm sure Sirius would love to help."

I laugh. "No way - I can see the disaster happening already!"

"But it _would _be pretty good," you point out, and I agree, grinning.

"Oh god, he's only fifteen months old and I already feel that he's growing up too fast."

"I know what you mean, Lily. It's okay to feel that way, you know. Just think of all the good times we've still got to go!" You squeeze my hand in reassurance.

"And of course, you're right," I reply, stroking your hair. "The best is yet to come. Just think - him finding friends, us teaching him magic, then he'll get his letter for Hogwarts …"

You continue. "Finding his talents, playing Quidditch, doing his OWLs and NEWTs …"

I nod. "And then him making a living doing a job he loves – maybe even an Auror like us…"

You finish off. "Falling in love, getting married... And then we'll be grandparents, and we can do it all over again!"

I smile, and give him a peck on the cheek. "Yes. It'll be good."

Then there's a bang, and it's the beginning of the end.


	2. Glowing (ElevenAmyRory)

**Glowing**

_Never gonna stop 'til the clock stops tickin'_

_Never gonna quit 'til my legs stop kickin'_

_I will follow you and we'll both go missin' (yeah)_

_And we don't even know where we're going_

_But I'm sitting with you and I'm glowing_

- Glowing, The Script

_Amy Pond. The girl who waited_.

And after fourteen years, the wait was finally over. When you came back, she was ready to leave. Ready to discard her old life just like that and run away with a mad man in a magic box.

Who would've thought it could be so easy?

But it wasn't for you to know that there was a reason that she was running away with a mad man in a magic box. She was running away from another man. Somebody who had loved her for so long, had asked if he could stay with her forever on one knee with a ring. He loved her so very much, but she wasn't sure if she loved him back.

It was sort of sad, really.

So together, you went on adventures. You went to new places, and she showed compassion and thoughtfulness and caring and the ability to know what was right,to work out things before even you could. Without realising, she showed you that she could love.

What she did that night after the angels was wrong; it was out of character, and you must never let that happen again. In a way, it scared you more than any monster ever could.

And then she told you her secret. The reason she had run away. And you couldn't bear went and found him –Rory. Slightly soft, a little bit dim, but very lovable. They were … cute together. So you took them to Venice, the most romantic place you could think of, and watched them.

Amy _did_ love Rory, even if she wasn't quite ready to admit it.

And then came her choice –Amy's choice –where you stopped running for a while and she had to choose: her raggedy man, or Rory.

Luckily she picked the right person.


	3. Crumbling (AlbusScorpius)

**Warning: **Self harm, character suicide and sex references

* * *

**Crumbling**

"_When your dreams all fail,_

_And the ones we hail,_

_Are the worst of all,_

_And the blood's run stale."_

- _Demons_, Imagine Dragons

You watch him as he crumbles, and it hurts you more than anything.

Turning on the light, wiping away the blood with a soft tissue, examining every cut in the hope that it isn't too deep, imagining the skin perfect, clear and flawless, and wanting to cry but you have to be strong.

Whispers in the middle of the night, millions of tiny kisses covering the scars, the broken skin, in a desperate attempt to make the pain go away.

Silent tears, bodies pressed up against each other, hot skin in cold rooms, clothes off when no one can hear, making up the time in sex because there's not much time left, and you both know it.

The rest of the world, always turning, your family asking you if you are okay, and of course you're not and they know it, but you don't say anything because they don't understand.

Rushing to his house, not aware of the outside world when you're in it, because he is your everything and nothing else matters. Every waking hour spent with him that you can manage, and most of the sleeping ones too.

Every scare, when things get bad, and you convince him to hold one for just a little bit longer.

But you can't go on this way forever. One day, you won't be able to convince him anymore.

When the day comes, there are passed notes and quick Apparations and the hope that you'll getthere in time because maybe you can save him again and things will be bearable for a while.

But he stands on the edge of a cliff and he is whispering your name and telling you that he can't do this anymore.

You tell him that you can't live without him and he stares at your perfect skin because you are not covered in scars and he cannot believe that you could do this with him but you have no other choice.

As he crumbles, so do you.

You grab his waist and pull him closer and try and remember every part of him, in this moment, forever.

"I love you."


	4. Purple (HarryClara)

**Warning: **Drunkeness

* * *

**Purple**

Harry is alone in the bar.

Even in a room full of people, she is alone.

This is nothing new. She tosses back more wine as she watches the people around her, laughing, talking, and smiling. They have a reason to be here – to socialise, be with friends, catch up.

She's just here because this is where she always is. It is the only place she ever comes to get away from the dingy, quiet flat.

"Another drink?" the barman asks, and she nods. Drink away the sorrows, that's what they say, isn't it? It is so much easier to pretend they're not there than have to deal with them.

She always seemto choose easy over right.

And as her thoughts begin to swim as the alcohol begins to creep into her blood once again, like it has done every day for the past three and a half months, she is vaguely aware of somebody taking a seat next to her. She turns.

She smiles and Harry notices what a lovely smile she has, lighting up the whole of her face. And slowly, her other features begin to register in her mind. Sparkling eyes, the colour of honey, and chocolate brown hair that spills over her shoulders. And then purple – lots of purple. An amazing purple dress, hugging her figure in all the right places, so stunning I just want to look at her forever.

She is beautiful.

"Hey," she grins at Harry, and she copies. "Hey."

"I'm Clara." She sticks out her hand.

"Harry."

-:-

The time has flown, and now it is long past midnight. There aren't as many people here now.

Harry is vaguely aware of how the two of them have grown quite loud, how their laughs fill the room and every now and then one of them will topple off one of the stools with a bang. But that doesn't matter to them. I suppose you could say that they were a little bit drunk.

"So …" Clara slurs. "We will have lots and lots of babies, some of them mine, some of them yours, and the father will be … George Clooney."

"Isn't he a little bit old?" Harry giggles.

"Nah." Clara rolls her eyes. "Doubt it."

"And when we get married …" Harry adds, "You should wear purple."

"Like now? What I'm wearing now?"

"Yeah. You look … amazing." She forces emphasis on the word, then smiles.

"Awww, thanks. A purple wedding it is, then."

Harry is dimly aware of the fact that the two of them only met three hours ago, and everything around her is swaying, and the music seems a little bit too loud, and that she is so pissed she probably doesn't know the way home. But I don't really mind.

She just likes talking to her, in that beautiful purple dress.


End file.
